Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

EPISTLE OF DARIUS TO ALEXANDER. 6
"the Two-horned, my servant. Now behold, the
"news of the death of thy father hath reached me,
"and it hath come to me that thou thyself hast
"become king over the men of Macedonia without
"my knowing' anything of the event, and thou
"hast set out on an expedition in thy mad scheme,
"which to do was not seemly unto thee. Now thy
"father was subject unto our authority, and he
"acted according to our good will and pleasure,
"and we journeyed to his country, and we rejoiced
"over him. But, behold, thou hast treated us with
"contempt by reason of what thou hast done, and
"thou hast not shewn honour unto us; for thou
"hast forsaken the use and wont of thy father ^
"of which thing we have only become aware
"through others, and, moreover, thou hast made
"thyself king without our wish and without our
"order. And, moreover, thou hast dared to pass
"over into the boundaries [p. 33] of countries
"wherein thou hadst no right to enter, in order
"that [thy soldiers] might invade us, and besides
"this, thou thyself hast [dared] to set the crown
"of royalty upon thy head. But thou art only a
"proud and headstrong boy without understanding,
"and so if thou wilt return I will put away thy
"transgression, and will not take vengeance upon
"thee for thy folly. And, besides this, I know well
"the folly of the Greeks, and how litde is their
"skill in the use of the spear. Now ye are Greeks,
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